Pepper Spray

Pepper Shot, WildFire, Mace Pepper Spray for Personal Protection

There are a lot of different ways to protect yourself but perhaps none as simple or efficient as pepper spray. Using pepper spray for personal protection is legal in every state, and everyone, young and old, can learn how to use one with very little training required. This is the everyman’s tool for protection.

After all, staying safe is always going to be a necessity. Every day, someone is getting mugged, assaulted, or raped. However, using deadly force can put you in jail even when you are defending yourself, which is why guns are not the best self-defense weapons. Pepper sprays could be, as they are undoubtedly non-lethal.

Pepper sprays contain a high amount of oleoresin capsicum (OC), a chemical derived from capsaicin, a compound taken from peppers. When a person is exposed to a high concentration of OC, they experience a burning pain and excessive tearing in the eyes, their eyes shut tight, and the mucous membranes swell, making it hard to breathe.

The efficiency of pepper spray is measured in the Scoville scale. A jalapeño pepper scores up to roughly 5,000 SHU (Scoville heat units), but 10% OC pepper spray rates all the way up to 2 million SHU. Now, just imagine how hot and how painful that can feel.

Pepper spray will not kill a person but will incapacitate them. How can a person attack you if they are on the ground, blind and choking? Even if an attacker has a high tolerance to pain, they will not be able to do a thing if they can’t see or breathe properly, which is why pepper sprays are highly suggested.

All it takes is a single burst of the spray to incapacitate someone. Just aim for the face and spray once. That is it. If you own a powerful OC spray such as Pepper Shot, WildFire, or Mace, which are the top brands of pepper spray, then you have the means to protect yourself even against a whole gang.

Different Kinds of Pepper Sprays

Deciding on the best pepper spray self defense option is all a matter of taste and circumstance. For example, key chain pepper sprays are best if you want to be able to keep your spray at hand at all times, as they are designed to be compact and pocketable pepper sprays.

On the other hand, pepper guns are ideal for those who want more “oomph” and punch with their defense sprays. Pepper guns are often used by neighborhood watch members and those who often have to walk home at night. These can be sprayed relentlessly, even from upside down.

Hot pepper sprays, some in a sticky gel form, are meant to deal more damage since their 18% OC formulation can scale up to 3 million SHU. Pepper gel uses a unique formula so that its content sticks to a person’s skin. If they try to wipe it off, they will only end up spreading the OC content further, causing more damage.

If you are looking to buy pepper spray cheap, then you are in luck. Many mini pepper sprays are not expensive but can deliver roughly 5 one-second bursts that reach up to 10 feet. These more affordable options are light and portable, too, and thus suitable for personal carry.

Also remember that not all pepper sprays look like small canisters. Pepper sprays for women are often disguised to look like lipsticks. Disguised pepper sprays are covert weapons. Many purse pepper sprays even resemble those lipstick pepper sprays, and they are preferable to the large pepper sprays that may not work well with your day’s choice of clothes.

And then there are pepper sprays with a few extra chemicals, which completely alter how and why they are used. The Vampire Repellent Pepper Spray contains garlic, and night defense sprays may have an LED flashlight built in to blind your target and to help you aim.

Home pepper sprays are different than jogger pepper sprays, for sure. The former often shoots out in wide fogs, while the latter may be smaller and would shoot out its content in a stream to avoid wind blowback.

Dog pepper sprays and bear pepper sprays are designed to normalize animals, not humans. They should not be interchanged with regular pepper sprays.

Benefits of Pepper Sprays

The number one benefit of pepper spray is that you can use it to protect yourself without having to permanently hurt or kill someone. The effects of pepper spray tend to last for roughly 45 minutes, which are enough time to get away and call for help.

Another important advantage is that these tools are easy to carry. Concealable pepper sprays and small pepper sprays take the top spot since an attacker would not notice you are about to use any pepper spray, even when you are holding it in your hand, until it is too late for them.

Pepper sprays are also incredibly easy to use. All you really need to do is aim and spray. If you are not very confident yet or you want to make sure you can use yours properly without spraying yourself accidentally, then you can avail yourself of practice pepper sprays.

These training spray cartridges contain only water. This will allow you to practice without having to waste the real deal.

Uses of Pepper Sprays

You can be attacked by muggers while on the way home, while resting in your car, or even while at home. People can break in and attack you if they think they can get something out of it. However, protecting yourself against muggers and attackers are not the only situations in which to use pepper spray.

You might need pepper spray while jogging or cycling because there are wild dogs or bears in the area you live in. Maybe you have a stalker who is just waiting for the right time to jump you.

Pepper sprays are just as effective as stun guns and TASER guns, if not more. They are not lethal, and they can be concealed, carried, and used easily in emergency situations.